What I Was Born For
by The Lonely Executioner
Summary: When she wakes up to see the one bishounen she thought didn't exist, she is catapulted into the adventure of a lifetime. That adventure will lead to self-discovery and the secret hidden from her for her entire life.
1. Default Chapter

**Author's Notes:**_ I'm going to introduce the characters here, so you'll feel like you already know each character. Hope you like them._

_Oh, and to mention something else!  I recently came across this absolutely _adorable_ picture of Hiei. It's from a site that had a page called the _Temple of Dark Tears._ It's Hiei with a cut on his cheek, and undoubtedly some bruises, looking like he's about to break down or something. I wonder if it is an out-take from a scene on the show, personally._

**_Main Characters: _**

**Mychela Averys:** A motorcycle street-racer/hacker/fighter/smartass with a huge attitude problem. She's five-ten with long black hair that she prefers braided 'Duo-style,' as she calls it. Unknown to her, the man she has called 'Father' for seventeen years isn't her true father. She was conceived illegitimately during one of her mother's periods of infidelity.

Normally, she wears baggy black jeans and a skin-tight shirt. If she's fighting or racing, she wears a leather biker's outfit that she had custom made. She's very protective of her bike and her laptop. Her bike is black with blue script on the tail reading: _'I am your Bane. Respect me and maybe you will live.'_

She loves _Yu Yu Hakusho, Gundam Wing, Dragonball Z_/_GT, _and _Yu-Gi-Oh_ on TV. She likes _Blade of the Immortal, Diary of a Demon King _(Demon Diary to you Americans!)_, Shaman King, Priest, Rebirth, _and _Sailor Moon_ in _manga._ In other words, this chick keeps her time occupied with Japanese _anime_ and _manga_. She is in a band called Heralds and is called the Herald of Doom. Other nicknames include Bane, Sonic Boom, Blur, and Queen Bitch.

**Kurama- AKA: Shuuichi Minamoto: **A _kitsune youkai_ and _bishounen_ from the _anime, Yu Yu Hakusho._ Always calm and peaceful, he can be funny at times. When he transforms himself into a supernatural being, he is mysterious but beautiful. He's one of Mychela's favorite characters.

**Hiei Jaganshi:** Mychela's other favorite character from _Yu Yu Hakusho._ A _hi youkai_ and a dangerous _bishounen_, he's to be treated with respect, unless one wishes to die.

**_Side Characters:_**

**Grace Bristol:**One of Mychela's best friends who insists that Kurama and Hiei are gay. Grace is from Venezuela and despises her current residence in the United States. She wishes to go home to her family's _estanca_.

She's a member of the Heralds and is the Herald of Light. Other nicknames are Crazy, _Ningen_, and Light.

**Arelia Jones: **Mychela's other best friend who is reserved and prefers to be silent and continue to embroider until Grace brings up Kurama and Hiei's supposed relationship. _Then_ things get ugly. Arelia is from South Africa and is glad to be in the U.S. 

She is a member of Heralds and is the Herald of Fire. She's also known as Gwen, Fire, and Death.

**Chapter One: Why Am I Here?**

She woke up suddenly and felt the hand over her mouth. She started to curse in Spanish at the stranger. In the background, 'My Immortal' was playing softly.

_"Shhh!"_ he hissed. Then, she recognized his voice.

She _knew_ that he wouldn't hurt her. She was a _ningen_ and he had a weakness about _ningen_s considering Shiori was one. She relaxed slowly.

"Good. We're getting somewhere. Now, come with me," whispered the emerald-eyed _bishounen._

"Umm… I'm indecent. I'm in my _nightgown_."

He blinked and his eyes widened. "Oh. Sorry. Change into something."

"Am I going to be fighting?"

"Probably."

"Right." She nodded and went over to her closet, pulling out several outfits and stuffing them in her duffel bag. Then, she placed her laptop in on top. She grabbed a set of her 'This isn't exactly a special occasion, but I still want to stand out' suits.

And ran to the bathroom.

_No way in hell I'm changing in my bedroom with that _youkai_ in there. Even if he has never been classified as a _hentai_, he's _friends_ with _hentai_s and I'm not risking it,_ she thought, amused, yet unamused, as she pulled on her blue jeans.

Kuso!_ I left my boots in my room._ _Oh well, perhaps it will be alright if I do that in there. I mean, what's he going to see? My scarred legs._

She was self-conscious of those scars. Gotten fighting and racing, but still…

She re-entered her room and saw the _kitsune_ looking at her bag with a bemused expression. 

"Let me put on my boots and inform Mother that I'm leaving and I'll be ready to go," she said. "Alright?"

He snapped out of his daze. "Yes. Yes, whatever you just said."

"You're crazy, _nino._ Very crazy." Then, she saw what he had been staring at. It was a picture she'd had her friend, Light, embroider into one side of the bag.

**Five hours earlier-Meiou High:**

_"Kurama, we have a mission for you, personally,"_ Botan said via the communicator he kept hidden in his conveniently long hair.

"Right. What?"

_"We need you to retrieve this girl,"_ Botan replied.

A image flashed in his mind. A black-haired girl on a black bike with blue writing on the tail. Her silver eyes glimmered.

Another one.

This time, she was with another woman, older, probably her mother, in the mall, looking disinterested and above all of the things she was surrounded by.

A third.

She had a bass guitar strapped on, hair loose, and was about to slam down. Her mouth was open, as if she were about to sing.

He raised an eyebrow. "Send Yuusuke," he told Botan.

_"No can do. He's busy in the Makai working on everything he needs to take care of there. He's working with Yomi, I think,"_ Botan provided. _"Plus, she would be more likely to trust you than Yuusuke."_

He rolled his eyes. "Why?"

_"She already knows you,"_ Botan said from the safety of the _Reikai._ Then, she closed the link.

Feeling slightly used, he stepped through the opening portal.

**Mychela's house-Present time:**

A picture of Youko Kurama. 

Youko had obviously been fighting, for he was bruised, tunic torn, and several cuts. In the background was Youko, hands outstretched, eyes glaring red. A powerful, threatening pose.

Then again, Youko was anything _but_ nice.

_At least he hasn't seen the _other_ sides. The one of him at the Dark Tournament, messed up and hurt by that psycho guy's make-up. Or the one of him in the tree with Hiei._ She sighed. _Perhaps I can play it off._

"So, this is what Botan meant when she said that you knew me. I understand now," he murmured.

She hit the volume and pressed 'back' to hear 'My Immortal' again. This was, no doubt, not going to be easy.

_I guess I can forget playing it off, then,_ she thought as she shrugged. "It's no biggie. I enjoy the _anime_ and one of my friends said that she could embroider any picture I gave her into the bag. I dared her and she won. It's a nice picture, though."

_ "Mychela! Are you up, yet?!"_ yelled her mother from downstairs.

Remembering Kurama's weakness of loud noises, she turned down the volume and exited the room before shouting, "Yes! I'm leaving in five!" Then, she returned to her room.

"Thank you," he said.

"No biggie. Ready?"

"Yes." He moved to make a portal.

"No. Not a portal. Not here, at least. My mother is expecting to hear me roaring off on my 'damned machine' as she calls it. Can you go back outside and ring the doorbell like you're expecting me to give you a ride to school?"

He nodded and left. She grabbed her CD/MP3 player and several CDs, like Evanesence's _Fallen,_ Linkin Park's _Hybrid Theory _and _Meteora, _and M2M's _Shades of Purple._ About two minutes later, she heard the doorbell. She grabbed her bag and yelled out the window. "Coming!!"

She ran downstairs, putting in _Meteora,_ and opened the door. "Ah, Shuuichi! I've been expecting you. C'mon, then," she ordered, leading the way to the garage.

Once there, she removed the tarp over her bike and started the engine. "Hop on," she said, putting in her earphones and pressing 'play' for track number thirteen, 'Numb.'

_'I'm tired of being what you want me to be/Feeling so faithless/Lost under the surface/I don't know what you're expecting of me/Put under the pressure/Of walking in your shoes'_

He did so, and she raced off.

In the middle of the street, a portal opened and she didn't veer so she would miss it. Instead, she hoped that the _Reikai_ had unscuffable floors.

**_Reikai_-Present time:**

She stepped out of the portal and wondered where in the hell was her bike. She loved her bike. She pressed 'pause.'

After a second's thought, she pressed 'stop.'

Then, she began to wonder exactly how much she was supposed to know. Was she permitted to use all of her knowledge, or was she to play stupid for a little while?

_Oh, well. I guess I'll find out when I reach Koenma's office. Even _I_ know how to find Koenma's office!_ she decided, walking away.

_"Oi! Chotto matte yo!"_ Kurama yelled.

She winced, but waited.

"Listen, I just saw all of the pictures on your bag. I don't know how you know me and Hiei, but we _aren't_ like that."

She grinned and began to walk again. "Well, that's one of my friend's stretch of imagination. I never really thought you _or_ Hiei were gay. Now, I won't say that I haven't read some pretty terrific lemon _yaoi_ stories about the two of you and enjoyed them, but I never really agreed with them."

"Lemon?" he queried.

"Erm…" She blushed. "Graphic male/male sex," she said in a rush.

He stopped her. "You're joking, right?"

"Nope!"

He moaned. "So much for that hope."

She smiled at his pained expression. "Don't worry. I wrote a _yaoi_ song-fic once, but it wasn't a lemon." A slight pause. "If you get Hiei to promise not to murder me on the spot, I'll show it to you. Along with the Yuusuke/Yukina story I wrote and got flamed for."

"Hiei _would_ kill you for that."

She thought for a second before paling. "Oh. You're right."

"Do you know about-"

"Hiei and Yukina?" He nodded. "Yeah. They're sister and brother, but Kuwabara keeps thinking that Hiei's trying to make moves and that Yukina's a female player."

"Player?"

"Normally a guy who dates more than one girl at a time."

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh. Come on. Koenma's awaiting you."

She grinned at his look of exasperation and exhaustion. "So, what's Koenma calling li'l ol' me in for anyway?"

"None of us know. I didn't ask, to be honest. I was told to come and get you."

She smiled wryly. "Well, if Koenma doesn't provide more information to me, he's shit out of luck."

Kurama raised an eyebrow and opened the door to Koenma's office.

"Ah, Miss Averys. I've been expecting you," said the teenaged Koenma.


	2. Chapter Two

_Okay, I'm very happy right now. Even though I haven't posted on this account in a long time, I _finally_ perfected my formatting!!! Yeah!!! I'm so happy!!_

_Okay, back to the story._ ~D.D.

_P.S.- Keeper of the Apocalypse, what does 'KUTGW' mean? Just curious. And thanks for the Yomi comment. I always thought _I_ was the only one who knew about him. And thank you, Sheesha!_

-x-

**Chapter Two: The Mission**

"At least you made yourself taller. I hate looking down on people I dislike."

Kurama choked when he finally got the joke. Koenma scowled.

"Right, Miss Averys. Now, to continue."

"Listen, it's Bane. I don't like being called 'Miss Averys.'" She paused. "Unless I'm in trouble."

She glared at Kurama.

"Listen, I have _no_ idea of what's going on here," he protested. "None at all. Like I told you, I was told to get you, no details."

She nodded and turned her baleful eyes on Koenma.

"All right, here's how it goes. The Dark Tournament is coming up. Team Urameshi had been… _requested_… to make an appearance. With Genkai unable to participate and Kuwabara MIA, we need two members. One, Bane, is you. Do you have any suggestions for someone else?"

She sat on the floor and looked thoughtful.

"Perhaps one of my friends, but she's a serious student and mid-terms are coming up," she told herself. "No, Grace is completely unavailable. What's in the fire this time, pacifier breath?"

Koenma glared before turning to his TV screen.

"The Dark Tournament, as I said before. Kuwabara is MIA. You're here because you're one of the best mortal fighters I know of," said a deep voice behind her. She turned and smiled.

"Yuusuke Urameshi," she murmured, nodding.

"She's quick," Koenma noted.

"That's why she was chosen. She's a fighter, a computer hacker, and a street racer," Yuusuke replied. "Only problem is that she doesn't have any _reiki_ attacks."

"Which may very well work to your advantage. If I fight the Dark Tournament, my opponent would expect a _reiki_ attack. So, a _physical_, purely physical attack, would be unexpected."

Yuusuke paused before gracefully admitting that she was right.

"So, where's everyone else? Kuwa_baka_'s MIA, so where's Hiei?" she queried.

"Hiei is-"

"Right here," rasped the fire demon.

She bowed to him and said, "I'm Mychela Averys."

"Hn."

She rolled her eyes. Then, she thought of the perfect revenge for his brusque treatment of her. "How's Yukina these days, Hiei?"

He looked at her. Kurama looked bland and Yuusuke's eyes were wide.

"Yukina is fine," Hiei growled.

"And how goes the search for her twin brother?"

Hiei looked like he'd been hit with a Mack truck or a two-by-four in his Jagan. Mychela was torn between the descriptions because either one was accurate for his look of astonishment.

"I don't know."

She smirked and turned back to Koenma. "Where's the Tournament this time?"

"Running Blood Island-" he pulled up a map of the _Makai_ on his screen. "-is here. About twenty miles from Hang Neck Island. A part of the same archipelago."

She nodded. "Hang Neck Island was where the last Tournament was. That scar-faced dude, the hot one, bought it, right?" She was silent until her mind latched onto a name. "Sakyo."

Koenma blinked. "Right. So it was out of the question."

"Good. Scary place."

"You will have a month to train and learn."

She nodded again, grinning. "I may be able to learn some _reiki_ attacks by that time, who knows?" Then, just as a stunt, she decided to try Yuusuke's famous trick.

_"SPIRIT GUN!"_

And she had it aimed at him. Yuusuke promptly dodged and looked at her in amazement.

She blew the top of her finger.

"Urameshi, _never_ underestimate a woman. Now, where'm I staying?"

"Genkai's."

"Where's my bike?"

"Currently trapped in the dimension that portals are made in. Once you step into one, you'll be able to retrieve it."

"Good. I'm going home for about thirty minutes to retrieve some things that I'll need at Genkai's. My mother should be at work, so I can sneak in and sneak out."

Then, the fifth fighter hit her.

"Arelia Jones."

"What?" Koenma and Yuusuke asked simultaneously.

"Arelia Jones. She's an associate of mine and a damned good fighter. Something of a female version of Kurama at his worst. Quiet, deadly calm, but a bitch once you've ticked her off."

"Weakness?"

"Three. One, her baby brother. He's about seven and they're closer than any pair of twins I know. Two:- Well, I won't go into two and three. Her brother is the biggest and the most exploitable."

"What are two and three?" Yuusuke demanded.

"Given in confidence and you can't _torture_ them out of me," she said bravely.

Yuusuke smiled. "I like you."

"Yuusuke, when you find Kuwabara, eat his."

Kurama's jaw dropped and Koenma looked appreciative. Hiei's eyes gleamed. Botan laughed straight out.

"Yuusuke, I think you've met your better," Botan choked out.

Yuusuke sputtered indignantly before shutting up.

"I need a portal home. I'm bouncing for a bit, but don't worry, Yuusuke. I will _so_ be back.

-x-

Kurama watched as Hiei stared after Mychela. Something about Hiei's reaction to her worried him.

"How did she know about Yukina?"

Kurama decided to play stupid for a little while and shrugged. "I don't know. She knows about my ability to turn into Youko."

"She knows that I'm part-demon."

"She knows my normal form is a toddler."

_"Everyone_ knows you're a baby, Diapers!" Yuusuke replied in disgust. "She knows too much to be human."

Kurama smiled secretly and kept his silence. 

Wouldn't they get a shock when she revealed all of her knowledge about their world? 

-x-

As soon as she pulled into her garage, she was half-way upstairs. 

Fortunately the stunt she was about to pull wouldn't take up any of her laptop memory, because she had a 'Zip' disk and drive on the computer.

Once she logged into her mother's ID, she pulled up the site she wanted. It had a _detailed_ analysis of every main character on _YYH._

She saved the pages on the disk. Attacks, personal files, images.

Perfect blackmail information.

She smiled and e-mailed her mother.

To: _averys1275@aol.com_

From: _maverysluvskurama@hotmail.com_

Re: _Hi, Mom!_

Message:

_Hi, Mother. I'm staying with a friend of mine for awhile. I'll call you when I can and _try_ to e-mail daily with some pictures of what I'm up to. Love._

She clicked 'SEND' and went to her closet, pulling out drawers and tossing some of their contents on her bed.

_One duffel bag, one suitcase, and my laptop case. Yes. That will suffice,_ she thought, taking her laptop from the duffel bag and wondering where the hell she had placed the laptop's proper bag.

Finally, she found it and placed the computer in the bag with CDs and some PC games.

_Now, for clothes. And where did I place that pack of AA batteries?_ she asked herself.

She pulled out a majority of her black clothing and her three biker's suits, carefully folding everything. As she did that, she wondered whether or not she should take her makeup.

_Dear God, girl! What are you _thinking?!_ You're staying at Genkai's with an absolutely to-die-for_ bishounen!_ Of _course_ you take your makeup!_ replied the part of her that was totally feminine.

Her PC _beep_ed.

_E-mail. Probably Mother,_ she realized.

_Mychela,_ the message read, _ Don't forget your violin or else you will be grounded for a year!_

Mychela groaned. _The _one_ thing I planned on leaving behind!_

She dug the thing out of her closet, scowling. Then, she ran down to tie the bags to her bike. A second's thought made her run back in to get her blades and her 'Matrix/SetoKaiba/VampireHunter' coat.

The blades weren't long enough to classify as swords, but they weren't exactly butter knives, either.

If she fought the Dark Tournament, something told her she'd need these. She strapped them on and went back to her bike.

Then, she zoomed away from everything she _knew_ and was comfortable with. Little did she know that her life would never, _ever_ be the same.

-x-

_Okay, readers and my precious reviewers. I need your help. I know one pairing, but what should the rest be? Of course, OC/Kurama is already taken._


	3. Chapter Three

_Well, Chapter Three and all in quick succession! Who knows, maybe this _will_ go well for me, a beginning author. _

_*smiles waterily*_

_Okay! Time to begin before I get soppy!_

_Keeper of the Apocalypse- Thank you for the translation. And no, it won't be Bane and Hiei. That seems like a receipe to kill everyone in Genkai's temple. Personally, I'm thinking that Grace (You know, Bane's friend?) is going to go with Hiei, since I'm so fond of Kurama/Hiei stories and Grace is a feminine version of Kurama._

_Seessha- Thank you for your correction. My _sincerest _apologies for the mistake._

-x-

**Chapter Three: Rigorous Training**

**Genkai's Temple-Four Days Later:**

Kurama and Yuusuke were out Kuwa_baka_ searching. Which left her alone with Hiei. And, fortunately for her newly broken leg, Yukina. 

Whom she was currently limping towards.

"Jerk!" she muttered. "No need to use _that_ technique on _me_. I'm _not_ that damned good, you ugly, evil, mean bastard."

Yukina looked at Hiei with her most upset look yet. "It's a complicated break in _four_ different places. This is going to hurt, Mychela."

Yukina turned her back to Hiei, who looked devastated.

Then, her eyes widened.

Yukina had called it right. It _hurt_. Bad. So much that she couldn't even gasp.

"Back to _you_, Hiei! _Why_ must you hurt _everyone_ you train with?! You _must_ learn to be gentler!"

"Life isn't gentle," he said gruffly, moving to walk away.

Yukina grabbed his collar. "Stop hurting your training partners! You _don't_ want a Healer mad at you and this one's _very_ close. A Healer _knows_ how you're put together and what will _hurt_."

She released Hiei and he stumbled several steps before walking away.

Mychela blinked at the not-_too_-subtle threat. 

_Okay, Yukina's cool. Not the too-goody-to-be-true that I first thought her to be. She's got my respect._ She leaned back against the post behind her as Yukina propped up her second complex break.

"Nice threat."

Yukina blushed. "I'm tired of Healing his victims. You wield a nice blade, Mychela."

"Thanks. As one of Hiei's 'victims,' I can feel for you."

Yukina laughed and Genkai stepped into the courtyard. "Where's Hiei?"

Mychela spoke first. "He got Yukina half-angry with him and she threatened him with bodily harm."

Genkai raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"He broke my left leg. _Again._"

Genkai winced. "Bad?"

"Complex. Nearly shattered," Yukina supplied.

Genkai made several uncomplimentary comments about demon men who 'beat up on' _ningen_ females.

Mychela shook her head, amused. "Don't worry. I'll sic Kurama on him next time."

"'Sic' Kurama on whom?" queried the object of her sentence.

"Hiei broke her left leg. _Twice_. And her right arm once," Yukina said.

"Where _is_ Hiei?" he asked politely.

_Too_ politely.

"He went that way!" Yukina and Mychela chorused.

When Kurama was out of hearing range, Mychela turned to Yukina, grinning. "Don't treat his injuries too gently."

"I won't."

**Genkai's Temple-Three Hours Later:**

Hiei limped into the dining area where Genkai quietly was sipping her tea, Kurama, Mychela, and Yukina talking, and Yuusuke eating faster than he could move his hand to his mouth.

"Hiei! You're hurt!" Yukina cried, swapping a knowing glance with Mychela.

She stood. "I believe I'll retire for the evening. Good-night, Genkai, Yuusuke, Yukina, Kurama."

"I'll walk you to your room," Kurama immediately offered.

She smiled. He stood and they left the room a second before Hiei screamed.

"Ouch. What _did_ you break?"

"Two ribs and his collarbone."

She laughed.

Once they reached her room, they sat on the floor. "The stars are different here, for some reason. Or so they seem."

He pulled her close and laid her head on his shoulder. He was slightly startled when she didn't resist.

Instead, she wriggled until she was comfortable and sighed. "Thank you for hurting Hiei for me. I won't manage it any time soon."

He smiled at her self-effacing comment.

A half hour of quiet communion passed. Then, he noticed that her breathing pattern had changed.

She slept.

"Poor little one. You're pushing yourself to your limits and it shows." He kissed the top of her head, a fraternal gesture, before picking her up.

Despite his brotherly display of affection, the feelings he sensed in his demonic side concerning her were anything _but_ fraternal.

His _youkai_ side was strangely stirred by her continued presence in Genkai's temple. He didn't understand it. Normally, if there was something about his _youkai_ side, he'd ask Genkai or (embarrassingly enough) Hiei, but this time was different. Something inside him told him that it would be best to be silent about this for a little while.

He flipped on the light in her room, noting the abundance of flowering plants and the color black.

That told him more than she ever would about her personality.

She was warm, a lily waiting to bloom, but she was a _dark_ lily. Her conscience was burdened with her past, whatever it was that she had done.

Quietly, he laid her on the futon and smiled down at her.

"Yes. It shows."

-x-

She awoke on her futon, not knowing how she'd gotten there. She sat up, popped her neck, and yawned.

"Good morning, sleepy."

She looked to her right, saw Kurama, and stuck out her tongue. He smiled.

"It's eleven o'clock."

Her eyes widened. "You're frickin' joking!"

"Nope."

She fell back on the futon. "Tell me that Hiei went Kuwabara searching and I don't have to have any more bones broken today."

"Hiei went to look for Kuwabara. As for the broken bones, it's possible, but I doubt you will break any today. You have strength training with me."

"Damn," she moaned. "Any more good news?"

"Hiei and Yuusuke are picking up Arelia today."

She sat up again, grinning. "You're serious?"

"Yes. Very much so."

She jumped up and said, "Give me thirty minutes to get ready for the day. I smell like the blood Hiei shed yesterday and sweat."

Kurama nodded. "Wear something loose. Strength training with me is difficult enough. It's more difficult when you have clothing sticking to your skin."

She wrinkled her nose. "Thanks for the advice. Now, _scat!_"

He made a face and left.

She began to go through her clothes to decide what she was wearing.

_Loose clothing… My jeans and that shirt that Arelia gave me? No, if Arelia's showing up, she'd kill me for wearing it for 'strength training.' Probably painfully._ She winced. _Okay, what then? The 'Angel' shirt?_

She grinned.

_Oh, yeah! Time for that! Besides, it only has evil flames in the background and _white_ wings with devil's horns!_

Her mood shot up.

-x-

Kurama waited in the courtyard patiently for thirty minutes before deciding that if Mychela didn't show up in five minutes, he was going to _drag_ her out of the shower.

"Here I am!" she yelled.

He winced.

"Oh! So sorry, Kurama! I'm just excited."

He smiled at her enthusiasm. "It's all right." He noticed her clothing. Jeans, blue for once, and a T-shirt that read 'Angel' with a girl with white wings, red horns, and skimpy clothes. "I thought I specified _loose_ clothing."

"You did. I _chose_ not to listen."

He shook his head. "Fine. How much can you lift?"

She looked at him, lost in thought. "Perhaps seventy-five pounds. That's pretty good considering I'm only one-thirty."

He nodded. "Right. How's your lower body strength?"

She blinked. "I don't know."

He led her to the weight room generally used by Yuusuke and Kuwabara.

"I smell stinky, sweaty male in here. Yuck!" she protested. 

He smiled at her and said, "Yes, this is Yuusuke and Kuwabara's area."

"Then why did you bring me here?"

"Would you rather run four miles?"

She was silent for a second before saying "YES!" emphatically.

"Then, go."

-x-

She hadn't thought him _serious!_ she mused as she made her fiftieth (or was it seventieth?!) lap around the complex. But he had been.

_Very_ serious.

When she'd moved to protest, he'd given her a _LOOK_ that didn't book arguing.

_Damn him! Oh well, at least I'll be in half-way decent shape before I get to the Dark Tournament,_ she realized _With this running, Hiei breaking every bone of mine he can get his sword-stick-thingy on, and avoiding Yuusuke's idiotic flirting, I'll be able to actually _hit_ Hiei before this is over!_

She would have smiled if she wasn't so tired.

"Okay, Mychela. I can tell you're about to faint from exhaustion," Kurama said, even though she wasn't even three-quarters around the complex. "Come with me."

_He's not even _sweating!!!she thought angrily. _He's been with me the entire time!_

He stopped in a small clearing and told her to cool off. She slid down the nearest tree trunk she could to the ground. He looked at her sweat-soaked clothes and sighed. She met his eyes and mentally tallied all of the insults she knew that she could apply to him. Even some of the ones she couldn't.

_No_ mere male had a right to look so perfect after following a girl around a huge temple for five hours, not breaking a sweat, not even misplacing a _hair_. 

"Now, you need to learn to shield your thoughts, even though your insults are highly amusing." Her mouth fell open.

_"You've been listening to my thoughts?!?!?!"_ she shrieked.

"You've been 'shouting' your thoughts!" he defended.

_"You're _so_ dead!"_

"OW!" he protested as her fist landed in the general area of his abdomen. Finally, he managed to grab her wrists. "Listen to me!" he ordered.

She stopped struggling.

"I did _not_ mean to over-hear your thoughts. It was purely accidental and I apologize for it."

She looked at him, eyes dark with anger. "Fine. I won't apologize for hitting you, though."

"I wouldn't expect you to," he countered. "If you did, I'd be upset that you gave a false apology."

She smiled. "I'll be sorry if I leave any bruises, fair?"

He sighed. "I suppose that's the best I'll get out of you."

"Damned right. Now, teach me how to 'shield' my thoughts."

-x-

He sighed. She was catching on quicker than some of the demons he'd taught this technique.

And a _hell_ of a lot faster than _any_ human.

"Right. Now, I'm about to try to force my way into your mind. Think of something that angers you."

She nodded and closed her eyes.

He caught the trail end of a thought and followed it before figuratively butting his head against a brick wall.

_Ow! Okay, she's good. She's _really_ good,_ he thought, trying to find a weak spot in the 'wall.' Then, he was _in._

She was fighting a girl, blades glistening red with shed blood, some of it her own. The girl had razor blades, had taken them down her face and shredded her legs.

_And yet she stood._

_"You won't win, Katiana. You can't. I won't let you."_

This is so stupid. _Me_ fighting this chick over her boyfriend who she _thinks_ is cheating with me! _she thought, amused, yet angered. _

_Katiana came at her, razors held out._

_She dodged and managed to twist herself around to where she was in control. Her blades were at Katiana's throat._

_"Katiana, I have never been alone with Adonis. I swear to you now. Trust me, please."_

_"I… _WILL NOT!"

She broke the link.

"Oh, God, Kurama. I didn't mean for you to see that. You told me to think of something that angered me!"

He looked at her. "Did that really happen?"

-x-

_Okay, I'm evil. Major cliffy! Don't you hate me?_

_*dodges thrown items*_

_Next chapter soon!_


	4. Chapter Four

_*continues to dodge thrown items*_

_Okay!! I'm updating!! I promise I'll behave now and no more evil cliffies!!_

_*cry*_

_Cliffies are so fun!!! Well, it may depend on _where_ one chooses to _put_ the cliffy._

-x-

**Chapter Four: Reunion of Comrades**

"Yes. You saw the scars on my legs, remember?"

He nodded. "I do."

"That's how I got the majority of them."

"And the rest?"

"A bike race. I was fourteen and thrown off my bike. I landed in a pile of gravel and glass. They were picking rubble out of my flesh for nearly two hours. Tiny pieces, bigger pieces, all sizes. I had to have a bit of PT in order to get back on my feet, so to speak."

He nodded. "Makes sense." Then he was silent. "Arelia's here."

Mychela stood up, ignoring her exhaustion.

_"Yea!!"_

-x-

They all gathered around the table for dinner. Arelia was beside Hiei and Mychela beside Kurama.

They were already swapping promises of death.

"Are you sure that the two of you are _friends?_" Kurama asked Mychela.

"Yeah. We're friends. Promsies of death are our way of saying 'Love you too.'"

He sighed. "Sounds like Hiei and Kuwabara."

"Only Hiei means it. We don't."

He nodded.

"I heard that, Mychela," Hiei informed.

"I meant for you to, _youkai._"

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

Mychela looked confused as Hiei stood. "No. Aren't you?"

"No. You are."

"Yes, I am."

"No. You aren't."

"I knew I wasn't." She turned to Kurama. "Reverse psychology works miracles."

Hiei fumed as Kurama, Genkai, and the teenaged Koenma laughed. Yuusuke was once again stuffing his face.

"Just for that, Mychela, you're going to-"

"Uh.. Hiei, Yukina told you what would happen if you hurt another one of your training partners," she reminded. "It didn't sound too pleasant, either."

He glared at her.

Arelia, Mychela noted with more than a little amusement, had yet to take her eyes off of the older version of Koenma. Curious, Mychela gently pryed into Arelia's mind.

_Wow! For a toddler, he's kinda cute. Well, he's not a _toddler_ exactly. More like a teenager sometimes stuck in a toddler's body. Wonder why he's looking at Mychela. Not like she's a bombshell or anything._

Mychela tore out of her 'friend's' thoughts with a glare.

"What's wrong, Mychela? Wouldn't have been using that thought technique I taught you today, now would you?" Kurama queried with a knowing glance.

"Of course not, Kurama-_kun._ One's thoughts should be _private,_" she said pointedly, eyes darkening in remembered rage.

His face turned red. "Right. They should. Which is why I was concerned about your prying into someone else's mind."

She gave him a disbelieving look and turned back to her meal. 

He didn't believe her for a second. If she hadn't been in Arelia's mind, he would give her a million dollars and dance like a fool with bells on in the middle of the Dark Tournament.

Which he wouldn't have to do, because he _always_ knew when he was being lied to.

And she was lying big time.

-x-

She was walking in the light of the full moon, somehow satisfied with the chaos around her. That chaos meant that no one was hurt. No one was attacking the temple.

Everything was alright.

She heard a _crack!_ behind her and stopped. She had known that someone was following her, but didn't know who or why. Which was why she had taken a path that took her far away from the temple and near a cliff that overlooked the city.

"Who's there?" she called.

No answer.

And she wasn't armed.

Kuso!_ I _would_ choose _now_ to be unarmed. Only thing I've got right now is my voice and I doubt that Kurama would hear me all the way out here!_

"Mychela, are you alright? You left right after dinner and everyone's worried about you."

She glared at Kurama as she put two and two together. He had been following her.

"Yes, I am fine. You scared me, following like that."

"It was obvious that you wanted time alone. Genkai told me to follow, though, so I did. However, I did so at a discreet distance."

She was grateful. Her thoughts were too tempestuous right now for anyone to dare go in, so she felt safe.

"What are you thinking?" he queried.

"Too much. Mainly mischief, though," she replied, shivering in the slightly cool air.

He came behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She sighed happily and relaxed against him.

"Kurama?"

_"Hai?"_ he said.

"Have you ever fallen in love?" she asked, voice a mere whisper in the wind.

"No."

'Do you love anyone in this world?"

"My human mother, Shiori, and my step-brother, Shuuichi. I'm… fond… of my step-father, but I wouldn't call it love."

"Why do you love your mother? I can't really stand mine." Her voice was thoughtful.

"I think Shiori _knew_ that I wasn't _really_ her son. She loved me nonetheless, though. When I had the human illness, the chicken pox, she fed me soup and held a 'Congratulations!' party when I was better."

She smiled. "Your mother sounds so cool. When I had chicken pox, on the week of my birthday, my mom still went to work. I wasn't really hurt, though. More disappointed."

"Would you like to meet Shiori?"

She turned around in his embrace and looked at him before nodding. "That would be awesome."

He arms tightened around her and he said, "We'll go tomorrow, then. I'm sure you could do with seeing something besides Genkai's temple for a while."

She nodded again. "I would appreciate it. Tokyo is supposed to be beautiful, but it's kinda saddening that I haven't seen it. And when I meet your mother, I promise I won't let _anything_ slip, Shuuichi."

He had absolute faith in her. "I know," he told her, kissing her cheek.

Their eyes met, her's storm-dark and his green like new spring leaves.

"You have… glorious eyes," she breathed.

"You have a… magnificent mouth," he returned. "A magnificent mouth that I _have_ to taste."

Their lips met and she was too stunned to resist his silent plea. 

She gave a sexy little sigh as her mouth opened to him. He took the kiss as deep as he could without asking for what he had _no_ right to.

When they broke apart, her head buried itself in his neck, her breath feathering against his skin.

And all was right with the world.

-x-

**Genkai's Temple-Morning:**

Kurama went to speak with Hiei and Yuusuke. 

"Well?"

"Still no sign. Those girls are our only hope right now."

They all looked over at the two girls who were sitting on the porch, discussing some guy named 'Tres' and the latest biker chick clothes from Hot Topic.

"Hn. We're doomed."

"Mychela's strong, especially with her punches," Kurama said, ignoring Hiei. "She punched me yesterday and actually left a bruise."

"Arelia was in the middle of a fight when we found her. She's damned good, just like Mychela promised. Calm, cool under pressure, and fast as hell," Yuusuke said, shaking his head.

"Weapon?"

"Staff."

Hiei tossed him the piece of wood and he caught it without second thought. "Oak quarterstaff, heavy. Nice desi-"

He broke off when his _youkai_ half sensed something emitting from the staff. A strange for of _youki/reiki_ that wasn't what they had encountered with Sensui.

"Kurama? Are you alright?"

"Yes. Just return this too her immediately. Handle it as little as possible. I'm about to leave with Mychela."

Yuusuke wriggled his eyebrows.

Kurama bashed him on the head. "No, you _hentai_. Not like that."

Suddenly, there was a yell.

-x-

"So, where's your big stick?"

"Hiei has it. Isn't it so cool that they're real?"

Mychela yelped as Arelia yanked out a tangle.

"That's it! You are _not_ brushing my hair again! You enjoy the tangles too much!"

Arelia huffed. "You're the one who tangles it!"

"You're the one making me go _bald!_"

-x-

Kurama stood in the doorway, watching this slightly amusing sight. Arelia and Mychela were about thirty seconds from a cat-fight.

"At least I can make more than mac-and-cheese!"

"Spaghetti! Wow!"

"My spaghetti's _good!"_

"If you like rubbery noodles and greasy sauce!"

"Yeah?" Mychela challenged.

"Yeah!"

Mychela leapt at Arelia.

He turned his back on the tussle, knowing that Mychela wouldn't really want him to intervene.

Five minutes passed before his will failed him.

He sighed and picked them up by the back of their shirts. "Girls, care to explain?" he queried, looking at them and assessing the damage.

Mychela had a cut running from below her left eye to her chin, a knot behind her ear, and a bruising right jaw.

Arelia, however, was relatively unharmed. A black eye, various bruises, and a knot at the base of her skull.

"It's nothing, Kurama," Mychela growled. "A disagreement."

"Fine. Mychela, come with me. We're going to be late. Arelia, Yukina is in the dining area. Go there. Now."

Mychela followed him, muttering things about how Arelia would die painfully. How she might even befriend Hiei just to have Arelia killed.

"That wouldn't be wise, Mychela. That wouldn't be wise at all."

"Shut up, _kitsune."_

_Okay, she is _pissed._ Not good for _me_ because I will now be her target. _Kuso!

He led her to the forest, to a clearing that he frequented when he wasn't taking care of everyone else's problems. "What happened?" he asked as she slid down a tree.

"Nothing. A disagreement."

"Mychela, please tell me," he pleaded, using that tone she couldn't resist.

"We pissed each other off with childish insults and idiocy."

He knelt in front of her and began to tend to the cut.

"Sorry you had to break it up."

He shook his head. "It's alright. I break up Hiei and Kuwabara pretty often."

She gave him a half-smile, wincing as the smile pulled at her wound.

He finished mending the damage, but didn't release her. Instead, he pulled her close and leaned against the tree.

"Ah… Kurama?"

"Yes?"

"We're going to be late for your mom's."

He jumped up. "You're right. Hold on!"

-x-

_"Okasan! Tadaima!"_ he yelled.

_"Okaerinasai, Shuuichi,"_ Shiori greeted.

_"Okasan,_ please meet Mychela Averys, a friend of mine," Kurama introduced.

She bowed. _"Minamoto-san,_ I am very pleased to finally meet you. Shuuichi-_chan_ speaks of you often."

Shiori laughed lightly. "I can only imagine what he says."

"It is all good, I assure you. He speaks most fondly of your cooking."

Shiori blushed. _"Arigato, Shuuichi. Aishiteru."_

Mychela laughed as Shiori spoke in rapid Japanese, most of which she couldn't translate, but she did catch the words _'koi,'_ and _'baka.'_

'Love' and 'idiot.'

Mychela knew she really didn't want a _full_ translation when Kurama blushed and glanced at her with wide eyes. "Umm… Shuuichi-_chan_, I don't want to know what's being said, do I?"

"No, you really don't."

"I want a translation later, though."

He sighed. "Alright."

"I am being so rude! Come, Mychela-_san_. You must be tired, standing here in the doorway!"

"No, I'm not, ma'am. However, it is a pleasure to be in your home."

_-You know precisely what to say to get on her good side. Should I be wary?-_ Kurama asked her telepathically, eyes laughing.

_-Shut up,-_ she replied, not really meaning it.

He 'laughed' in her mind, causing her to smile.

Shiori sat her at a table before she realized that she had done something unintentionally that was truly insulting. She had her outdoor shoes on in the house.

"Umm… may I be excused for a moment, Minamoto-_san_? I still have my shoes on."

Shiori nodded, setting out a plate and cups on the table.

She dashed to the door, unzipped her boots, and slid them off before walking back to the dining room.

_"Gomen ne,_ ma'am."

Shiori dismissed it with a wave of her hand and looked at Kurama. Another rapid string of Japanese.

"Try one of the shortbread cookies, Mychela. This is going to take a while."

She took a cookie before watching the exchange between Kurama and Shiori. 

"Mother! We're being rude. Mychela doesn't speak Japanese fluently," Kurama finally pointed out. "And we're disturbing her. She hasn't even taken a bite yet!"

Shiori looked at her. "It is my turn to apologize."

"It's nothing. My mother and I are always at each other's throats. I find it… relaxing… in a sense, to let someone else do the arguing."

Shiori laughed again. "Eat, then. Shuuichi and I will argue in English."

Mychela's eyes widened. "That's not necessary. Shuuichi is helping me learn Japanese, so I think it best if I'm not babied by always being spoken to in English."

Shiori's eyes widened. "Fine."

-x-

"It's time to go, Mychela."

She nodded and looked at Shiori. "Thank you, Shiori, for allowing me in your home."

"You are welcome here anytime, Mychela."

They hugged and Mychela stepped away.

_"Ja ne, Shiori!"_ she said, once up the alley.

She didn't hear Shiroi's reply, but read it on her lips. _Good-bye, Mychela!_

_-I won't see her again, will I?-_

_-If you desire to, you will,-_ Kurama replied.

She nodded and slipped deep into her own thoughts.

-x-

Okay, that's my longest chapter yet! Six pages with Word! Probably could have made it longer, but… Well, I got lazy, a little bit, and I had a former Marine breathing down my neck! Will update as soon as I can get Reynolds off my back.

_BTW, Ivy Raine, what period of Reynolds' are you in? Are we even talking about the same Reynolds? Just curious._


	5. Chapter Five

_Friday, March 19, 2004- Computer Apps class with the Marine guy: (I really dislike this guy! I mean he is _eww!)

_Well, I thought last chapter went _pretty_ well. Shiori and Kurama have an argument, much to Mychela's amusement, offer to argue in English, she refuses, and that's that. And her and Shiori actually became _friends! _(Kinda hard to think of someone who absolutely adores Kurama befriending the mother that just finished cursing him out, isn't it? Hey, it can happen, _though!)

_Anyway, this is chapter five of who knows how many. (No, even _I _don't know how many chapters there are, but for some odd reason in the middle of the night last night, I woke up and began writing the epilogue. Stupid, _ne? _But it's really cute! And sweet! __)_

_Oh, and I've made it so that Youko and Shuuichi are sorta like two different people. (Even though some might say that they are one and the same, I disagree with that. There are just too many things that are not right for Shuuichi to be Youko, if you see my point.) To continue, if you see Shuuichi and Youko arguing in the story, no I haven't lost my bloody mind. I am just trying to make the story more interesting and complex._

**Chapter Five: Reaching The Max**

**_Devil's Own Luck_- Three Weeks Later:**

(Or thereabouts)

Mychela and Arelia swapped a tense glance as they boarded the ship that was to take them to Running Blood Island, the _Devil's Own Luck_.

"What is it, Mychela?" Kurama queried, looking down at her.

"Something here… It's alarming me _and_ Arelia. That's not a good think, I assure you."

"You're not used to being around demons other than Hiei and myself. It's probably just that."

She nodded her agreement, though she knew that it wasn't that. Yuusuke was _part_ demon, yet neither she nor Arelia had the response to him that they were having to _something_ on this boat. 

_-You're still worried,-_ he stated.

_-Yes. Something is… _wrong_… on this boat. Something spiritually. Something that doesn't add up. And it worries me. I don't like what I sense. It troubles me. Interrupts my thought processes.-_

_-Everything will be alright. You and Arelia have perfected that technique, so either one of us boys will fight first.-_

_-You know there is a formal reception once we reach the island, right?-_

_-No!-_

_-Don't worry. I packed you something to wear, just in case you _hadn't_ heard.-_

_-You deliberately did that!-_ he accused.

_-Yes, I did. Don't worry. It's not girly or anything. And I _swear_ that it's not in the bag that has the 'weird' pictures on it!-_

He sighed and decided that it was the best he could hope for. _-What did you pack, just out of curiosity.-_

_-A tuxedo, what else?-_ she shot back.

He chuckled and decided to leave the subject alone. There was a chance that they wouldn't even make it to Running Blood Island, though he hadn't told her that.

She ran to the front of the boat to look out on the ocean, leaving him at the boarding platform.

_How can she _truly _be of that mixture?_

He was worried about that. If they didn't make it, then there would be chaos in the _Makai_ and the _Reikai_ would be held responsible. 

Something Koenma was despairing over.

Yet, how could Arelia and Mychela be part goddess, part demon, part human!? It made no sense, considering how forbidden that mix was, no matter how many decades or centuries ago! 

He was slightly confused as to this situation. Koenma had warned them that unless these two started to show the powers granted to both at birth soon, then Team Urameshi would be Team U-And-Me-Deadi.

Mychela looked at him and gestured for him to join her.

He did so without hesitiation.

-x-

She knew instinctively that she shouldn't get 'involved' with anyone on this ship. Most of them didn't even count as a near temptation.

But the emerald-eyed _bishounen_ was a _major_ tempter.

_Mary, Mother of God, help me and preserve me. This is the _last_ thing I need right now. Red-haired, emerald-eyed cuties who are too damned _good_ to be true._

She smiled as an amusing thought hit her, interrupting her plea.

_Maybe I'll get to see Youko Kurama. _She shivered.

"Cold?" Kurama queried, wrapping his arms around her.

"Yes. A little, anyway," she lied without qualm. She would have lied to God Himself if it meant having Kurama this near her.

"Nervous?"

"Very much so."

He smiled down at her and propped his chin on the top of her head. "Yeah. I can only imagine. I was a demon, even though I was trapped in this body, when I first attended the Dark Tournament. I have no clue as to how you, a human, feel now."

"Something akin to terror and… Have you ever heard of the 'fight or flight' instinct?"

"Yes."

"Right now, I'm tempted more to flight."

She heard/felt his chuckle. "Don't. Then I'll be forced to chase you."

She turned around. "Why?"

"Because you inspire me to fight better?" he offered, eyes shining with humor.

"Glad to know you find me so useful," she quipped, turning back around to the ocean.

"We'd better not let Hiei and everyone else see us like this."

"Arelia already has," she informed. "She doesn't really mind. If she did, she would have already shoved her big stick _very_ far up your butt."

Kurama smirked. "She'd have to catch me first, I think."

"She's caught Hiei. More than once, if what she told me was correct."

She felt proud to see Kurama stunned.

"Should I start running then?" he queried.

Mychela leaned back against him and shook her head. "Nah. I don't think so. Arelia has this weird belief that I'm never happy. So, obviously she thinks that you make me happy."

Kurama spun her around. "Do I?"

"Do you what?"

"Make you happy?"

"Yes. I believe you do. True happiness is something that I don't think I'd be able to identify should it happen, but you make me forget my troubles."

His eyes darkened.

_Okay. What did I say? Why is he angry? Wait a second! How do I _know_ that he's mad!?_

Then, his expression softened. "That's good, Mychela."

She gave him a 'What the hell were you just thinking?' look. 

"Did I say something that angered you?" she queried after a quarter hour of silence.

"No. It didn't anger me. Well, actually, it did, but my anger wasn't directed at you. It was at your mother for stifling you as she did. You should have done more socially than you have."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Mother thought that she was doing what was best for me. Now that I know that Father isn't my _real_ father, I've figured out what happened, I think."

Kurama looked at her with a clueless look.

"When I went out the other day, you know, the day Genkai gave Arelia and me those 'daypasses'?"

He nodded.

"Mother confessed to me that the man I thought of as Father wasn't in my DNA. She would say nothing more, but I managed to figure out that my birth was precisely six months after she met and married Father, so it was impossible for me to be his child.

"I believe that someone seduced her and abandoned her. I guess she wanted to prevent that happening to me."

Kurama was silent before saying, "That makes sense. I don't agree with it, but it is logical."

She nodded. "I don't like it, nor do I like her for doing it, but I guess that it was her motherly instincts."

He kissed her cheek and she heard, _-Get a room, _kitsune. _You've been standing there for a half hour, so everyone's seen you.-_

_-Hiei, nice to hear from you. Where have we been quartered and I'll _have_ a room.-_

She choked. _–I hope you know that I am hearing every word you've said so far!-_

Kurama 'sent' a blush and Hiei merely _–Hn.-_ ed. She rolled her eyes.

_-I'm going below-deck. Make sure that you behave, boys. I need Kurama in one piece for the reception, Hiei,-_ she informed.

She twisted from his embrace and moved to go below when there was an announcement.

"All teams. Choose yer two fighters. Round one o' th' Dark Tournament is abou' t' begin."

Mychela turned back towards him, eyes wide with fear and worry. He recognized the emotions and drew her back to him.

"Calm yourself, Mychela. Everything is alright."

"Arelia and I want to go first. You guys are demons, dependant on _youki_. Arelia and I… you don't know where our energy sources are from, but they obviously work different than yours. Replenish quicker. We go first. You boys fight when we reach the Island."

Mychela walked away before he could do so much as think of a protest.

-x-

Mychela and Arelia swapped a glance of pure feminine confidence. There was no way they would lose this. No matter how many demons were sent at them.

_"I wanna dirty fight, scum. Be quick 'bout it, though. I wanna clean m' deck up 'fore we reach th' Island,"_ the captain drawled.

_-Quick, yet dirty,-_ Arelia sent, obviously amused. _–He has no idea what he asked for.-_

Mychela chuckled. _–You're more than right there. Let's wipe the stage with these idiot's faces.-_

_-Was that a suggestion or an order?-_

_-Both, I guess.-_

_-Will do and gladly 'cause man are they _ugly!-

Mychela laughed and then realized something. If they were the first targets, their energy sources would be exhausted by the time they left the ring.

_-Arelia, do you think that it would be possible for us to meld our energies and use them in one _huge_ blast to destroy or disable our opponents.-_

_-You realized the 'I hate humans' attitude too?-_

_-Yeah. A little belatedly, but I noticed.-_

_-We _should_ be able to do that. I haven't heard anything that says we can't.-_

She nodded right as the cry of _"Kill th' 'umans!"_ sounded.

Arelia 'flung' a telepathic hand in her direction right as she accessed her energy.

_-Ready in three… two… one. Blast these assholes!-_ Arelia cried.

A grey blast of light, the mixture of her black energy and Arelia's white, hit the first wave of demons, killing them. The second wave was injured badly. The third and final wave was stunned.

-x-

Kurama was blinded momentarily by the blast. Then, his vision cleared and he saw Arelia and Mychela leaning on one another, walking from the ring, grinning foolishly.

He ran up to Mychela. "I swear, you do anything stupid like that again and I'll-"

He broke off when she fainted.

Arelia, though, was grinning wider. "You'll what, precisely?" she slurred.

"Take your stick and shove it so far up your ass that you'll be puking it for a month!" he threatened. 

Arelia laughed and that laughter followed him down to his room for the remainder of the trip.

_Dammit!_ his _youkai_ side cursed. _How could she be so foolish as to pull _that_ particular stunt?!_

_:Calm yourself,:_ he replied. _:She did that out of desperation, I think. If she had known how dangerous it was, she wouldn't have done it. So, I'll inform her whenever she awakens.:_

_Don't you mean _if_ she awakens?_

_:No. When. She will awaken. She is merely out of energy. She over-estimated her reserves.:_

Youko 'growled' something unrepeatable and left it alone.

-x-

_Okay, end chapter. The Youko/Shuucihi conversation, though really twisted and slightly insane was _cool_. I mean, Shuuichi won, right? Youko backed out of the conversation._

_But, what is Youko so worried about? Why is he even butting in?_

_Find out next time in _What I Was Born For, **Chapter Six:****Running Blood Island**_!_

_Finished: Thursday, March 25, 2004- Computer Apps- No Marine guy._


	6. Chapter Six

_Well, I'm back! Today is March 30, 2004, and I don't have deal with that blasted Marine guy!! _*insert cheers* _He's absent and I have my favorite substitute for his class!_

_Better get back to the story. BTW, Ivy Raine helped me with this chapter. So, props to her and hope you like and review._

**Chapter Six: Running Blood Island**

She had awakened after four hours of deep sleep and demanded that he allow her up. In response, he had tied her down with some vines.

After she had blown his vines to hell, he decided that maybe he _should_ allow her up.

Now, she was standing, leaning against the rail of the ship, smelling of salt water and sweat. She was also smiling.

He loved those rare smiles that were unrestrained, unexpected, and soft like down. A gentler side to the smart-ass that everyone but him knew and most despised.

He truly _knew_ her. After all, he had taken it upon himself, after kissing her that night on the ridge, to train her in her abilities. 

She preferred not using her _reiki_ attacks. She used her swords unless she was _forced_ to use _reiki_ or that weird black _reiki/youki_ mix. Then, she would pull out a whip so fast that even _he_ found it difficult to keep up.

For some odd reason, she could even manipulate his Rose Whip into coming to her.

Something he found most fascinating.

He shook his head, drawing her attention.

_"Nani desuka?"_ she queried, eyes slightly unfocused.

"It's nothing, Mychela," he replied, smiling down at her and quietly wrapping his arms around her.

She sighed and snuggled closer. His smile widened and he played with her braid.

-x-

She was fidgeting nervously, playing with a lock of his hair.

_"Get yer ugly asses off o' m' ship!"_ the captain yelled over the PA. She jumped and he barely managed to grab her before she would have been shark bait.

_-Calm yourself, Mychela,-_ he said, pulling her back, away from the rail.

She smiled sheepishly and looked back towards the island, her eyes gaining that far away look again.

_-Hn. She sleeps in your bed still?-_ Hiei queried, slightly mocking.

-Hai. _I'm growing concerned. It isn't as simple as fear. Could she be Awakening?- _Quite suddenly, he was more than concerned. _He_ was afraid.

Hiei nodded.

All _hanyou_s, such as Arelia and Mychela, eventually experienced the Awakening.

Kurama muttered various curses, once again gaining her attention at the _least_ wanted moment.

_-Kurama, what is it?-_ she asked, silver eyes wide.

"Nothing. Nothing at all, _koishii._"

She blinked, blushed, and smiled. Mentally, she gave him a slight carress.

-x-

"Urameshi Yuusuke, Youko Kurama, Jaganshi Hiei," announced the demon by the door.

Somehow, and Kurama had yet to figure out exactly _how_, Arelia, Mychela, _and_ Keiko had managed to… persuade… all three of the demons into tuxedos. Even now, Hiei was tugging at his collar and glaring murder.

"So, what _did_ Keiko and Arelia threaten you with?" Kurama asked, once again.

Mychela had threatened him with _forcing_ him to tell Shiori about Youko.

_To think that she would do that when she enjoys the comforts of sleeping in out bed, but denying us the pleasures,_ Youko murmured, amused. _Take my advice, keep this one._

_:I plan on it,:_ he reassured. _:Trust me.:_

_Just as a matter of course, how do you plan to do this?_

_:If our charisma, good looks, and a fancy ball can't persuade a woman, there's no hope left for the universe.:_

Youko chuckled. _True that._

"Ukimura Keiko, Averys Mychela, Jones Arelia."

He turned to the door and saw Mychela enter the room, discreetly hand the herald some money, and stared.

She was clothed in a silvery color that perfectly matched her eyes and her style. Fluid lines, graceful motions, classical style.

Longs sleeves, bell cuffs, floor-length skirt, modest bodice.

_Whoa there! Another two seconds and you'll be drooling,_ Youko warned.

She came directly to him. "Good evening, Kurama," she greeted, noticing his stare and blushing.

-x-

"She's here, m'lord," said a servant.

He waved a hand carelessly, dismissing him or her. Then, he looked down at the creature that was his daughter and only child.

She was very much in his image. Surprisingly, he was pleased with this discovery.

He had never seen Mychela. Her mother hadn't allowed it, saying that her _ningen_ husband was the child's true father.

He knew that the stupid _ningen_ wasn't. Indeed, he had… arranged… for the man's murder. 

Nathaniel Averys had only known Jolyan for less than six months before they married. The child had been born exactly nine months after he had last taken Jolyan.

The child was undeniably his.

He watched as his daughter interacted with a slightly attractive red-head. They laughed aloud and she blushed charmingly.

Yes, she was indeed _his_ child.

-x-

"Kurama!"

She turned around and saw the pretty brunette and a rogue-ish ebon headed their way. She glared at Kurama.

"Shizuru! Sakyo!" he greeted.

"Who is this _mignonne?"_ the ebon queried.

"Dance with whom you came with," she advised, her glare switching targets.

"Sakyo, this is my date, Mychela Averys. Mychela, this is Kuwabara Shizuru and her husband, Sakyo."

"A pleasure to meet you, _petite cynge,_" Sakyo murmured, kissing her hand.

"Take your pretty French elsewhere, _monsieur._"

She saw Kurama glare at Sakyo and felt his arm slide around her waist. A warm feeling invaded her.

_Oh! He _does _care!_

She, subtly, snuggled closer. _–You do know that everyone in the ball room can see you, right?-_ said a voice in her head. _–Just curious.-_

_-Hello, Hiei. Where's Keiko?-_ she taunted. _–Just curious.-_

_-Hn. Like I know or care.-_

_-Yeah right. Now, mind your own business, _koorime.-

Kurama chuckled and she knew that he had overheard the entire conversation.

"Shall I go and get punch?" Sakyo offered.

_"Onegai!_" everyone replied. He left.

Someone tapped her shoulder and she spun. _"Hai?"_

_"Konnichiwa, Mychela-chan,"_ drawled a familiar, beloved voice.

_"GRACE!!"_ she cried, flinging her arms around the petite girl.

"How are you?" queried Grace, her second best friend, racing partner, and favorite artist.

"Wonderful! What are you doing here?"

"You didn't know that _all_ of the Heralds have been called here to perform?"

"When?"

"In five. I came looking for you since you weren't already back stage."

"First is _Gotta Burn,_ then _Faith Crusher_ right?" Grace nodded. "One second."

_-Arelia, we've got to perform. Did you know?-_ she sent. 

_-Yes, I did. _Before_ you bless me out, I have your suit backstage, ready to be slipped on.-_

"Kurama, I have to go!" she said, giving him a quick kiss of the cheek. "They need me."

He nodded and she raced to change.

-x-

The room dimmed and the spotlight focused on the stage, revealing six black biker's suits.

A cappella, she began to sing.

_"If I'm ready/ Come and find me/ If I burn/ Don't make me burn alone."_ The music faded in. _"Wherever I am/ You by my side…"_

He tuned the music out, the words, only hearing the inflections, seeing her gaze travel across the room.

He watched as her voice caressed the microphone, her listeners' ears.

It made him aware of the fact that she wanted him nearly as bad as he wanted her.

She sang of loving the right man at the wrong time, her voice sorrow and defiance, love and joy.

She met his eyes and the song poured into him.

_"Watching you/ Loving you/ Needing me/ Fearing me/ What else can I do?"_ The music faded out and she lowered the microphone.

-x-

She crashed onto the bed, having wearily changed into her nightclothes after departing the ball. 

Her adrenaline rush was over and she was exhausted.

Not even bothering to remove her socks, she slept.

_He _touched_ her, not repulsed by her original fear of the moment, or by her scars. He had come out of the bathroom, probably not knowing she was there, in only the thin, worn cloth of his boxers._

_Which did _not _hide his aroused state well._

-x-

He entered the room.

She moaned in her sleep, thrashing her head, acting as if her hands were being held down.

Alarmed, he sat on the edge of the mattress, and whispered, "What is it, Mychela?" in a worried tone.

She moaned, back arching, and purred. _"Ai shiteru,"_ she whispered. Then louder, like chanting, _"Ai shiteru, ai shiteru, koishii."_

He could resist. "Who?" he queried, realizing what she was dreaming. Erotica.

She trembled, shaking her head and smiling mysteriously.

"Who?!" he demanded. A look of ecstasy crossed her face.

_"Ai shiteru, Kurama,"_ she finally gasped. "I love you, love you." She went limp.

He grinned, now knowing exactly what the hell was going on in her mind concerning him.

His grin faded. Now, to figure out exactly what the hell was going on in _his_ mind concerning her.

He shed his clothes down to his boxers and lay beside her. Drawing her gently into his protective embrace, he closed his eyes and slept peacefully.

-x-

She awoke, strangely warm. She was being held gently, almost lovingly.

_Foolish, foolish girl,_ she scolded. _Like Nathaniel said, who could love a smart-ass with more scars than 'feminine qualities'?_

Nathaniel, the man she had called 'Father' for seventeen years, was the one who had shoved her into street-racing, his one kindness to her. Even if he had intended for her to be killed.

She had proven herself adept at it, learning the rules (or lack thereof), using them, winning. She earned money to buy her laptop, the modifications that her bike had needed to keep up with the beat of the street.

She remembered bitterly all of his deliberate blows at her self-esteem, his torture tactics. His ways of hurting her.

The time he had caused such intense pain that it could have been carnal pleasure.

She shuddered. Even the _memory_ was intense.

"Are you alright, Mychela?"

She opened her eyes and realized that it was _Kurama's_ arms around her. She nodded. "Just remembering things."

"Like what?" he asked softly. Gently.

She opened her mind to him and took him in.

-x-

_It was time for 'punishment.' Idly, she wondered where he would hurt her _this_ time. Last time, it had been the part of her already in pain. Something she didn't know how to numb._

_Her tender, young breasts._

_He entered the room and she stared at him coldly._

Fear is cast out to make way for acceptance. Hatred is released to make way for forgiveness,_ she chanted silently._

_His hand went to her shoulder._

_Her newly wounded left shoulder._

_She realized what he was about to do and relaxed her muscles. She would not fight the pain. Instead, she would accept it and use it for something profitable later._

_He pulled at the flesh on either side of the stitches. She didn't make a sound. Later, perhaps, she would weep in pain, but not now. Not in front of this sadist._

_He growled in displeasure._

_Then, he ripped open the wound and she screamed._

Remember. Fear for acceptance, hatred for forgiveness, sorrow for love.

-x-

She didn't open her eyes. She didn't want to see the horror and the pity in his eyes. Eyes she felt on her face.

He pulled the neckline of her gown aside, gently grazed the scar with his fingers. "Is this it?"

She nodded, opening her eyes in curiosity. What _could_ he be planning. 

She gasped as he lapped at the wound. Her eyes fled to his and saw that they were no longer emerald, but more of an interesting hazel color.

A tear of joy slid down her cheek. He wasn't horrified or pitying. He was willing to accept her, with all of her scars, her fears, her anger.

He felt something wet splash on his cheek and looked at her.

She was smiling and crying. Just a little bit of crying, but still… He pulled away from the scar.

"Why do you weep?"

She shook her head. "You're so…" she paused, searching for the right word to say. "… beautiful. I don't understand how I could possibly deserve you."

He looked thoughtful. "I _understand_ you. We're so much alike, I think. You're cold, sometimes cruel, living only for death, like I was. But that's to outsiders," he said quickly before she could get insulted. "To those you care about, you're loving, self-sacrificing, warm, giving. Don't you see?"

She thought about all of her knowledge of him, his Youko side, and what she _thought_ about both. She nodded.

There was a banging on the door.

"C'mon, Kurama! Mychela! Time to go to the stadium!" Yuusuke yelled.

Mychela jumped up and ran for the door.

_"Cover up, _mes amies!" Grace cried, turning the handle.

"We're on our way!" Kurama told the others.

She heard the sounds of the others walking away and sighed in relief. Kurama walked up to her and kissed her.

Unlike the others, this one was definitely possessing more than a tad bit of lust. Even though he was gentle, his mouth still burned like wildfire against her lips. She gave into him completely, pressing her lips against his, opening to him when his tongue slid over her bottom lip in silent entreaty.

_-Get a shower. We don't have much time,-_ he said in her head as he pulled away. She ran her tongue across her lips, still tingling.

She nodded  blindly and headed for the bathroom.

-x-

"Team Urameshi versus Team Maiji!" announced Juri, a weird-looking sea demon with fins for ears. "Team captains on stage!"

Yuusuke went on the platform and listened as Maji's captain, a short, tiny guy by the name of Ares, spoke.

He nodded.

"Urameshi has agreed to the terms! This will consist of two double battles and one Captain fight! No fighter can go twice. First team to disable or kill their opponents wins the match!"

Yuusuke signaled for them to come closer. "Who's with who?"

Arelia spoke up first. "I'll work with Hiei, that way we have a long-distance weapon with a hand-to-hand weapon."

Arelia hugged her as it was decided that Mychela and Kurama were going first. She returned the embrace and walked onto the platform.

It was slightly hard to ignore the cries of, _"Kill the human! Kill her and the traitor!"_

-x-

_Okay, I won't have access to a computer next week (my Spring Break) as I will more than likely be at my grandmother's, _much_ to my misery. Thanks again to Ivy Raine for her assistance in this chapter!_


	7. Chapter Seven

__

Okay, I'm typing this while my grandmother is out, lucky me. She'll be out a whole lot more for the next two days, so I plan on getting this chapter up. Also, I will be posting a new story, They Have Issues_, very soon. I've already gotten it written out._

Today is April 7, 2004, a Wednesday. My birthday is Saturday, so there will be a special chapter on Monday.

Love to you all! And thanks for reviewing again, SC.

****

Chapter Seven: What They Didn't Expect

"That makes it Kurama and Mychela Averys versus Phobos and Deimos!" Juri cried.

__

-Fear and Panic. How... appropriate,- Kurama teased, trying to lighten her mood of impending doom.

__

-Isn't it just?- she replied, pulling on her headphones, turning on _Fallen,_ and tuning everything but her upcoming match out. _-Who do you want? Mr. Phobos or Ms. Deimos?-_

-I'll take Panic. She seems wilier.-

-Is that supposed to imply that I'm stupid?- she snapped.

__

-No. What's wrong_ with you today?-_

-Nothing.-

He nodded and she sent, _-Watch our backs.-_

He grinned and a rose appeared in his hand. _-Same to you.-_

She pulled out her sword and looked at Phobos appraisingly. He looked back at her with an expression something like an animal finally finding his prey. It made her distinctly uncomfortable.

__

-Let's take these suckers down, Kurama. Whoever strikes first blood gets fifty dollars.- she wagered, trying to get that uncomfortable feeling out of her mind. _-You game?-_

-Yeah. I'm game.-

She grinned, albeit tensely, and prepared herself to attack.

__

-You love him. How amusing. You will see his blood run across your hands before you die,- said a strange voice in her head.

Then she knew why Phobos had given her that look. They knew her biggest fear.

Losing someone she loved. 

She leapt into the air and, with a silent, pleading apology to Kurama, yelled, _"Encircling Shield One!"_

He looked up at her, startled, and saw the shield come around him.

She landed on top of the shield.

He saw her land above him, enjoyed the view of her ass for a moment, and then began to wonder why she was protecting him, forbidding him to fight. For as surely as nothing from the outside would penetrate as long as she held it up, nothing from the inside would get out.

Then, he saw the flaming arrows. _"Mychela!"_ he screamed, panicked. If she didn't see those arrows,...

He didn't want to think about it. It brought Youko's anger too close to the surface, threatening his control over the wild demon.

She looked down at him, then in the direction of his terrified gaze.

A surprise attack from cowards too frightened to face their enemies on 'fair' terms. No matter that they were destined to die. They should still play by the 'accepted' terms of the Committee. 

__

"Alectia Snisiar!" she muttered in annoyance, dispelling the attacks.

She 'felt' another _ki_ attack. But, it wasn't headed at her.

It was headed for Grace.

__

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" she screamed, verbally and telepathically, as the attack hit Grace and killed her.

Kurama saw those moments and knew that, were Koenma right on what Mychela and Arelia were, now was the time for them to Awaken. 

A flash of white light from outside the ring caught his attention.

Arelia was transforming.

__

The girl, Arelia, is a Healer-Goddess. Not a youkai._ You won't see demonic traits from her. Tods has it messed up there._

:Tods?:

The toddler. Tods.

Kurama didn't say anything more to his darker side. Instead, he watched the transformation.

Arelia, a light-skinned black girl, was becoming a Goddess. A Healer. 

Her black biker's suit had become a flowing white dress. Her hair, normally pulled back away from her face, whipped around her in the wind. Green eyes became blind. She grew wings, her hair became longer, and she grew taller and more majestic. More regal.

__

You'd better take a look at Mychela, Youko said, whistling appreciatively.

He glanced at Mychela, and his jaw dropped.

She was kneeling, surrounded by a black light, her own anger and defiance. There was a tinge of red. 

__

Her own crimson regrets, Youko informed.

Kurama nodded absently.

Mychela's biker's suit had become a flowing black dress, her hair flying behind her, her normally grey eyes becoming as black as pitch. She stood.

Her hands were dripping a black liquid from 3-inch long black nails. 

__

Poison. A very_ deadly poison. They will only appear when she's hurting, angry, like now._

:You know something.: Kurama accused, knowing he was right. _:Talk.:_

I'm not quite sure. If I'm right, that girl is very_ important. The heiress to the Rolle Kingdom. Bunch of nasty hybrids,_ Youko said, tone superior and disgusted.

__

:What kind_ of hybrids? What is she?:_

Fox and cobra. The king is Karei, once a reikaitantei._ Worked for Tods father._

Kurama looked thoughtful as she turned and faced Phobos and Deimos.

Feathered wings, fox ears and tails, demonic speed, human soul. The soul, though, was buried in mountains of grief, hatred, pain, and agony.

He tried to touch her mind, to calm her, to comfort her.

He was sucked into the chaos.

__

-MYCHELA!- he cried out, trying to escape the malestrom.

She heard the scream, presumed that it was verbal, and didn't really give a damn. _No_ one hurt her friends, hard earned and much beloved, without dying. Painfully.

She looked down at her hands. 

__

Oh, yes. They will pay, she thought within her fury-consumed mind. _They will die. Pain will be their friend. Ah, yes. Their closest friend. They will pray for a quicker death before I am done. Poison them, withdraw it, and poison them again. Again and again until they scream like Grace did. _

Somewhere, she knew that she was going insane. That this being wasn't the _true_ her. She wasn't so cruel. 

Or _was_ she?

Right now, she didn't care. She wanted to see Phobos and Deimos' blood in her hands, pouring over her skin, draining from them.

"Give me one reason," she told the two cowering, _whimpering_ demons, "that I should be gracious enough to let you live."

Both were silent for a mere moment before crying out, _"We have children!"_

That didn't suffice.

"They can be taken care of. After all, the _Reikai_ does specialize in that sort of thing," she drawled, trying to rein in her hatred. These two had ordered a defenseless _ningen_ to be killed mercilessly.

Why should she ask for their last words?

__

-Because you are better than them. You are their superior. You are a royal, and shall always behave as such,- said a familiar voice in her mind. _-I am here with you, always, Mychela.-_

-Kurama?-

-Hai._ I am here with you. Calm yourself. You _may_ kill them, but don't do so in anger. You will feel guilty later. Finish this, _koishii.-

She nodded to Kurama and went closer to her two enemies. They scooted as far away from her as they could without falling out of the ring.

"You _will_ die, you do know that?"

They nodded slowly.

"Tell me your childrens' names."

They named two girls and a boy.

"I will take them in." She used the Death Plant she had... _appropriated..._ from Kurama and turned away. Only one word was required now, and it was a word she couldn't wait to say.

"Die."

-x-

Arelia was busy trying to revive poor Grace. Hiei watched, solemn and brooding. Yuusuke, though, was loud and indignant. 

"How _dare_ they attack the bystanders! That is so against the rules!"

Yukina and Botan came down.

"You take her soul, Guide, and I will hunt you down to die," said a voice, deeper than the normal wont for a woman. It wasn't said in anger, but in a flat tone that indicated the severity.

Everyone turned to see Mychela (or was it _really_ Mychela?!) and Kurama walking away from the ring, alive, though their two opponents bloomed with death.

"Mychela?" Yukina and Yuusuke gasped.

"No. Not quite Mychela. Her darker side that has slept for far too long," replied the being. "Of course, I will be forced to retreat back into the little known corner of her mind soon. She will think that she has gone insane. Split personalities, though that _is_ an accurate description of what has happened. I guess that, when I appear, you may call me Elyees."

Elyees/Mychela became encircled with that black light again and the _real_ Mychela emerged.

"What... what _have I done?!"_ Mychela cried.

-x-

They were waiting for the next round and Mychela hadn't spoken since she had cried out after Elyees had returned control.

Now, she lay on the bed, staring at something on the ceiling. Or, perhaps, she was done staring at things, and she was now just retreating into her mind, trying to understand what had happened.

"Kurama, what _am _I?" she finally whispered, not looking at him.

"A _hanyou._ A hybrid, if you will. God, demon, and human," he replied, not sure if he was capable of explaining this properly. Perhaps he should let Youko take over for a bit.

"A side-show freak at the county fair, hmm?" she queried bitterly. "Something like that, at least."

__

"NO!" he yelled, not really meaning to get that loud. She glanced at him, raised an eyebrow, and turned her focus back to the ceiling.

"You are a rare kind of demon. Millennia ago, there were several Gods and Goddesses that defied an edict that said that they couldn't mate with demons. These Deities were in love with demons. _Kitsunes,_ fire, ice, electric, every kind of demon. Most of the _youkai_ and their mates were eliminated, as were some of their children, but many escaped. You are a descendant of that mix, but you also have human in you. Somewhere along the line of your ancestors, a _kitsune_ mated with a cobra demon and then someone mated with a human. Perhaps not even in that order. But you are a descendant of the Forbidden Mates."

She had looked at him while he had spoken, respectfully silent.

"But, I'm not supposed to exist, am I?" she finally asked. "The children were supposed to have been wiped out like Hitler intended for the Jews or the Gypsies. I'm not supposed to be here."

He couldn't lie to her. "No, you aren't. Most of the detected children have been... murdered."

She nodded. "Why am I special?"

"You have avoided those attacks five times. Koenma thinks that you could be a valuable ally to the _Reikai._"

She nodded again. "Kurama, can I ask a favor?"

He looked at her. "Certainly."

"Can I stop pretending to be brave right about now?" she murmured.

He sat beside her and pulled her close. "You should feel like you have to pretend to be brave for anyone, Mychela. Least of all for me."

She buried her face in his shoulder and wept. "I'm glad I didn't die."

"Why?" he asked. He had to make sure that she wasn't suicidal or homicidal. If she was, he would deliberately block Elyees from coming out again until she was ready mentally _and_ physically.

"Because I wouldn't have met you," she replied, grey meshing with green.

He kissed her, knowing that he could be taking advantage of her, but that look was one he couldn't resist.

She didn't pull away. Indeed, she pressed closer. Slowly, he pushed her back on the bed and gave up any semblance of restraint.

-x-

She didn't want to wake up. Then again, she did.

She was slightly sore. A pleasant kind of sore, though. Not sore like she was after Nathaniel had hurt her so many times.

She wriggled, finally noticing that she was rather warm.

That's when she felt a male body. A warm, very much alive, male body.

She opened her eyes, saw red hair, and smiled softly.

She knew now what those romance novels had meant when they had said that one _could_ love their lover.

Which she did.

Intense, gentle green eyes caught hers.

__

He's been watching me while I sleep, she realized, for some reason embarrassed.

"How long-"

"Fifteen minutes, tops," he reassured, realizing her awkwardness and being touched by it. He kissed her. "You're beautiful, extraordinarily so, when you sleep."

She suddenly blushed. "Thank you. Was it-" her blush deepened until he could literally _feel_ the heat radiating from her face "-as good-"

He broke off her sentence before she burst into an uneasy flame. "Yes. I loved it."

She closed her eyes. "Is it okay if I go to sleep now?"

He pulled her close against him and covered them both up. "Why would I object?"

She blushed darker now. "Erm..."

He chuckled at her lack of skill in this situation. It was charming and so gracelessly innocent that he couldn't help his amusement or the rush of emotions that suddenly had him floundering..

"Sleep, Mychela. We'll talk more in the morning."

She smiled and situated herself, hair tickling his neck, fingers curled against his chest and was immediately asleep.

__

What do I do now? he asked himself.

He had never intended on taking a lover until he returned to the _Makai_. Now, he had a lover, Mychela, and, for some odd reason, he had no intention of _ever_ losing her. Or ever giving her up.

-x-

__

Hello, folks. How d'ya like them apples? Or perhaps I should say that chapter? Anyway, _I managed to type this in less than two days, considering I can only type when my grandmum's out. Aren't I lucky?_

My life sucks.

So, hello to all my readers. If you're a reader, become a part of the circle of reviewers, whom I adore. If you're a reviewer, I say hello to you all and Happy Easter. 

Does anyone really still search for Easter eggs? I do because my little brother makes me. I'm luck about it this year because I have to head back up to Stone Mountain to me and Ivy Raine's school. (I don't live at home.)

If anyone knows a good YYH RPG, I would be grateful. I've been looking for one and can't find a good_ one. Most of them are all girls, all dating (or fighting over) Hiei or Kurama. *sigh* Annoyingly typical._

C ya in **Chapter Eight: Her Fears and Family Feud**_!_


	8. Chapter Eight

_Okay, time for the next installment! _*screams excitedly* _This is the special chapter that was _supposed_ to have been posted Monday, but I discovered that I don't have school on Monday, so I sorta crapped out of luck there. Sorry, people!_

**Chapter Eight: Her Fears and Family Feud**

He awoke and saw the most entrancing and lovely sight in his life. 

Mychela was lying beside him, hair tousled, eyes gently closed, worry lines erased from her face.

There was a knock at the door.

He sent out a tendril of thought, trying to identify the person. He managed to discover that the person was female and human before the worst possible scenario came true.

"Cover up, _mes amies!"_ Grace shouted, bursting in. Immediately, she took in the conditions of the room and grinned.

_She is _not_ Venezuelan. I can tell that much. What _is_ she?_ Kurama thought as she gave a sophisticated Gallic shrug as if seeing her best friend in bed with a demon (especially an obviously naked demon) was no more of a concern than a CD breaking.

"Ah, Kurama, we've been scheduled for a fight today. You might want to get Mychela, lazy bum, out of bed. Even though I am sure you would prefer it otherwise."

Eyes wide, Kurama watched as the girl left.

Youko, though, was chuckling. _Okay, that is one cool chick. I doubt she'll talk. She's Mychela's friend._

Kurama rolled his eyes. That blasted girl didn't even give him enough time to stop her or identify her.

Mychela stirred in his embrace. She popped her neck and opened her eyes.

_"Konnichiwa, koishii,_" he greeted when her eyes met his. Her eyes widened and she pinched herself.

_Not dreaming. Wow,_ she thought.

"Good morning, love."

_He knows I love him. He'd never take advantage of that. He cares about me,_ she realized, remembering bits and pieces of the night before.

"What's wrong?" she queried, once she saw the worried expression on his face.

"We have another fight today."

She cursed, quite inventively. Especially when it came to telling the Committee members where to shove theirs. 

"Sakyo's a Committee member," he told her.

"Oh, I thought he was. I wasn't cursing him, though. He's cool."

Kurama felt an inexplicit flash of rage wash over Youko. _:What's wrong?:_

_Nothing._ the demon snapped. Then, gentler, _I'd much rather spend the day here. Like this._

_:You and me both.:_

-x-

Another easy team, this time from the _koorime_ regions of the _Makai_. Hiei kicked most of them from one end of the ring to the other. He did allow Mychela one good fight, though. 

Hiei and Kurama had left early, being mysterious, as usual.

Though Kurama was a lot less enigmatic now than he had been yesterday.

"You haven't helped her at all, _kitsune! Any_ demon with a half decent sense of smell will smell you all over her!" She heard Hiei's yelling half-way down the hall of the suite that Team Urameshi was staying in. She stopped and listened.

She heard Kurama reply, but couldn't make out the words. The tone, though, was placating.

_"I know! _That's _what's wrong!"_

Another placating reply. It seemed to make Hiei angrier.

_"Shimatta, kitsune!_ You're more of an idiot than our missing _baka!_" Hiei proclaimed, storming from the room. He glared at her and whispered, "If he gets hurt because of you, rest assured that I will kill you, hybrid or not."

He left.

She looked at Kurama, knowing that he didn't know she was there. He was troubled and it was her fault.

She ran.

_"MYCHELA!"_ he cried, hearing the sound of her footsteps. She was running away. Immediately, he grabbed his coat, slipped it on, and snatched up hers.

-x-

She reached the ocean, as turbulent as her emotions. Her _ningen_ grandmother had taken her to the beach several times, pointing out the tide pools.

_"Little worlds of sex, politics, and scandal. Often, they make more sense than the big world. Our world. They have their own rules, laws, and codes,"_ she had said often.

She sat beside one and watched it, captivated by it.

Kurama, her _aisuru,_ was endangered because of her.

She transformed and wondered if the cobra poison that was a part of her could work on her, ending Kurama's danger.

_"Mychela!"_ she heard Kurama call, sounding panicked.

"Over here," she whispered.

Immediately, he was beside her, covering her shoulders with her coat. Then, he sat on the rock and pulled her hands into his left hand, making her feel small and delicate.

"What's wrong?"

He knew that she was afraid. He just didn't know of what.

He slid his hands down to the itchy place where her wings began. Kuroune's wing joint had always itched. She sighed, leaning into the scratching.

"Scared."

"Of what?"

_Everything. The feelings you've awakened in me. Feelings I _thought_ I didn't possess. Your power over me. The power you possess to _hurt_ me._

"Ah."

She looked at him in concern, knowing she hadn't spoken aloud, nor had she lowered her mental shields. The carress on her itchy wing joint stopped and she glared at him.

"You're scared of being emotionally hurt. Physical pain doesn't bother you, but you can't stand betrayal."

She sighed. Her silence had spoken for her. "That's the gist of it."

"Have I _ever_ given you reason to fear me?

Her mood abruptly switched from gloomy to playful. "Actually, yes. On _two_ occasions."

He looked down at her, startled. "When?"

"One, the first day we met." She saw his disbelieving look. "You wake up with a stranger's hand over your mouth! Two, the day you followed me to the ridge. I didn't know who was there or if I was in any kind of danger."

"Both of those were accidental. I never meant to scare you. But besides those?"

She shook her head, hair flying.

"Do you think that I would ever _deliberately_ harm you, emotionally or physically?"

_No, but you _are. _You're ripping something out of me, my heart, that I can't afford to lose if I'm going to somehow manage to walk away from this tournament whole._

She shook her head again.

"Take this walk with me. We may not go at the same pace or choose the same path, but we have the same destination." He held out his hand.

She took it, nodding. She knew that she would never have the strength to deny him anything. He was growing to be a disturbingly essential part of her life.

_My immortal,_ she thought, realizing that she had started falling for him the moment she had seen him.

"Why were you and Hiei fighting?"

"He and I have a differing point of view."

"On what?"

Oh, she was like a dog with a bone in it's mouth. She wasn't going to let go.

"Our relationship."

She pulled away. "I don't want to come between the two of you. You're such good friends. I don't want to force you into a position where you would have to choose-"

He interrupted. "-the two of you?"

She nodded.

"Don't worry," he said, squeezing her delicate hand. "If it comes to that, _you_ are my choice. Hiei can either accept it or go away. _Aishiteru."_

Her eyes watered, though he _had_ said the same to her last night. _"Aishiteru, Kurama."_

He pulled her close again and she was content to sit on 'their' rock on the beach, ocean spray soaking the both of them, and be held.

-x-

He was highly pleased.

Team Urameshi was about to fight his team, Team Crimson.

He handed the captain, a 'human' boy named Urameshi Yuusuke a list of whom was fighting who.

Kurama against Naoru, who would probably walk away missing a limb. Yuusuke against Jail, which would result in a tie. Hiei would fight Seirra and Arelia would battle Rocky.

However, _he_ would fight Mychela. If she were a truly worthy heir to the Rolle Kingdom, she would kill him, efficiently handing herself the crown.

Urameshi nodded and handed the sheet to Juri.

He walked off the platform and Naoru came to him. "Lord Karei, are you sure this is a good idea?"

"She is my daughter. It is time."

-x-

Yuusuke approached them.

"Mychela, you're up against the team captain, a guy named Karei, so you fight last. Normal fight rules. Kill, maim, disable, so long as they're down for ten counts."

Everyone nodded.

-x-

Kurama and Hiei won flat out. Both opponents managed, by some miracle, to walk away from the fight. Yuusuke, with his hard head, was able to tie with Jail. Arelia had, against her will, killed Rocky due to his threat against her life, but brought him back because she was gracious and kind.

Kurama had held her for the last three matches. Now, she ran a hand through his hair, nicking several seeds.

Two Rose Whips, one Death Plant, and one of her favorites: the Native's Paintbrush.

Kurama had developed this, with her help, from an old hybrid that he had kept at his hide-out from his Youko days. Native's Paintbrush was ridiculously simple. All one had to do was get close enough to swipe at their opponent. Native's Paintbrush poisoned them to the point they fell out in less than a minute.

All one had to worry about was that minute. The counter effect to the Native's Paintbrush was that it gave the victim super-strength for that minute.

_Right, Mychela. What do you do _now?_ You don't need to worry about that weapon for the moment. Dual Rose Whips until you get close enough to use the Native's Paintbrush, an _experimental_ weapon? What are you going to do?!_

_-Good luck, _koi,- she heard Kurama say. _-You _will_ win. You are more than capable. That is your advantage. You are of the Forbidden Lineage.-_

She glared back at him and sent, _-I _didn't_ need to be reminded of that.-_

_-Sorry?-_

She rolled her eyes, knowing she couldn't stay mad at him. If she did, who would rub her itchy joint?

_-Excellent reason to forgive me,-_ he replied. _-That joint is highly sensitive.-_

_-Oh, shut it.-_

Popping in her headphones, she decided that she would toy with Karei before killing him. He rubbed something in her the wrong way. She wouldn't dispute that he was _evil._

She transformed.

"Good, my daughter," said Karei. "My _beloved_ daughter."

-x-

_Oooh, Mychela's daddy's here! Uh oh! Plus, it gets better in _**Chapter Nine: Reasons for Hatred and Abandonment**


	9. NOT A CHAPTER! AUTHOR'S NOTE!

_I am back with good news, my friends. My friend (who's also my editor and my beta-reader and my most annoying acquaintance) _finally_ returned my original chapters 6-8, so I'm going back and redoing them._

_In the mean time, I hope to reward you  (and bribe you) for your patience with a sneak peek at the sequel for _What I Was Born For. _Take a look! And I hope you like it. _

-----------------------------------

_Excerpt from:_  **CHAPTER ONE: His Memories and Her Ignorance**

**HE** had missed her. Missed her so much that it had torn at his heart and soul for nearly two year.

Now, she was back. Had been back for nearly a month. 

And was as ignorant as she had been when they had first met.

He made sure he was alone in the clearing before cursing and punching the nearest tree. It fell, causing him to utter a few more obscene words.

"Shuuichi-_kun_, are you alright?"

She was in a loose black cotton dress, barefoot, hair loose. She was, as usual in the past and the present, hauntingly beautiful.

"Yes."

"Your hand is bleeding," she pointed out.

He looked down and saw the truth of her statement. His right hand was bleeding heavily and had splinters in it. "I'll take care of it."

She sat on the felled tree and looked at him.

"You're sad. Why?"

He shook his head. He wasn't sad. He was annoyed and slightly angry. Koenma had told him that he was _not_ to touch Mychela until she was ready to accept all of her responsibilities as Queen of Rolle Kingdom and as one of the Forbidden Lineage.

Or until she discovered all of this.

It was tearing at his control, which was highly unusual for him. Usually, he had 'enough damned patience to fuel the entire fucking planet _and_ the three realms,' as Yuusuke had so… elegantly… put it once.

She shrugged.

"You shouldn't be out here barefoot, Mychela-_chan_."

She shook her head, laughing, as a wolf leaped directly at her. 

Kurama prepared to summon Rose Whip, knowing she was about to be attacked. Before he could, though, the wolf gave greeting in the form of happy yipping and sniffing at her hand. She laughed again and said, "Good morning, Kepra."

She turned to Kurama.

"Sorry. I've always had this weird… ability, I guess… to call animals like wolfs and foxes to me. I'm never alone and it makes me happy. I apologize if Kepra scared you, Shuuichi-_kun._"

"It's alright, Mychela-_chan_."

She turned back to Kepra and scratched behind the wolf's ears.

-x-

_They were sitting on the beach together, both in demon form, a _very_ rare occurance. It was just after her appearance at the marriage ceremony for the other couples._

_"Mychela… why, _koishii?_"_

_She sighed unhappily and looked away. He grabbed her chin and forced her to face him. "Because everything you've awakened in me, the emotions and the sensations, are things I never hoped to experience and, frankly, I'm scared shitless. I'm quickly becoming dependant on you. I swore so long ago, after everything that happened… Well, I swore to be independent. To never _need_ anyone."_

_He knew she had been about to refer to Nathaniel, that evil bastard. She was still scared of him, for some odd reason. He didn't try to understand her fear. He only tried to relieve it._

_"Why?"_

_"People don't stick. They deceive or they ignore the deceptions. I can't do that, Kurama." She toyed with one of his ears. It twitched and he gave a slight whimper. _

_She ignored it._

_"I can't ask anyone to do that, either, Kurama. I don't want to do anything but be myself, and I think it is best if I did that away, far away, from you."_

_He grabbed her hand before she could scratch at his other ear._

_"Mychela, I swore that I would never abandon you. Don't do this."_

_She stood._

_"I'm sorry, _koibito_, but I must. If you truly love me, then tell me you hate me. Make me believe it." She sounded so desperate._

_He shook his head and her shoulders fell. "I can't, Mychela. I can't lie like that."_

_She met his eyes. "I can't do it either. I can't stay, though, Kurama. I'll make us both terribly unhappy. I couldn't bear to have that on my soul. Good-bye, Kurama."_

_He watched, stunned and frozen, as she ran away. _

I don't believe it.

-x-

He stopped reminiscing when the wolf darted off and Mychela scampered after it.

"Mychela!" he called.

He ran after them, hearing Mychela's breathless laughter and wondering what in the hell she was thinking, dashing through the forest barefoot.

She'd get hurt!

"C'mon, Shuuichi-_kun_!" she shouted, giggling.

He sighed and sped up.

…

Arelia smiled at Koenma as they watched the scene via his TV.

"This will be _very_ entertaining."


	10. Chapter Nine

_I'm slightly embarrassed. I've held off the ninth chapter of this story, re-reading and reviewing the three chapters my friend returned to me a while back, yet I discovered that I followed the same line for all three as was originally intended!_

**blush**

_Anyway, thanks for your patience. I'm going to leave my little preview up, I suppose._

**Chapter Nine: Reasons for Hatred and Abandonment**

She froze.

"Father. I wondered when we would meet again. The one who abandoned his child to _humans_. You will die this day," Elyees said.

She was in control of Elyees. She and Kurama had worked on that for the past two days. So long as Elyees was under _her_ control, there would be no possession episodes like when Grace had died the first time.

_Yes, Mychela.__ There will not be another episode like that. I am more than willing to be under your control, because you are just and decent. I have apologized for that episode, _Elyees said, tone wry, but calm.

_:I__ know, Elyees. Is he telling the truth? Are... well, _we_, his daughter?:_

Hai. _We are._

_:Oh, joy.: _Mychela retorted, tone sarcastic.

Elyees chuckled. _Just finish it. It's time we came into our destiny._

_:What__ do you mean by that?:_ Mychela queried as she summoned the two Rose Whips, snapping them threateningly at Karei.

He laughed. "Do you really expect them to work?"

_Mychela, you're going to need to let me have this one. Full control,_ Elyees informed. _Trust me. You won't have the same reaction you did last time. Last time, it was the anger. The grief. Your friends are mine as well._

Mychela hesitated before letting Elyees have _full_ control. _:Good__ luck, Elyees. I'm trusting you.:_

_Which is how it should be between us._

_:Don't__ go philosophical on __me.__:_

_Alright.___

Kurama watched as Mychela lowered the barrier between her and her fully demonic side. He was proud of her.

_Damn.__ I don't know which side's hotter. Her or Elyees,_ Youko said. _It's close, anyway._

:Hentai.:

_And? That's nothing new. You're an undercover _hentai_, human._

_:Can__ it.:_

_Is that an admission?_

_:I__ said, 'Can it.':_

_Uh oh, Shuuichi got some freak in him._

He scowled and focused on the fight. Right now, a childish argument with Youko was out of line. _Very_ out of line. And completely immature.

"Who's betting?"

Kurama looked at Yuusuke. "Betting?"

"This is her second fight in her demon form. Who's betting she loses control like last time?"

Hiei looked at Yuusuke and said, "I bet five cartons of sweet snow."

"We're talking cash, Hiei."

"Fine. However much _ningen_ money it costs to buy five cartons of sweet snow."

"Which side?"

"She loses it. This _is_ her father we're talking about."

"I bet that she keeps control," Arelia wagered. "Same amount as Hiei."

"I'm with Hiei on this one, guys," said a new voice.

Hiei found the source of the voice about two seconds before Kurama. He didn't hide his blush adequately.

The source was Keiko Ukimura.

_Ah, so our_ hi youkai _has a crush. How sweet._

_:Do__ you ever shut up?:_

_Umm... no.___

:Shimatta!:

Elyees spoke before Youko could form a reply.

"Why did you leave Joylan and me? What happened?"

"That happened before you were born. She betrayed me with the human, Nathaniel Averys."

Mychela's rage at the mention of the man's name was nearly explosive.

"What happened to Nathaniel?"

"Had him killed about two years back."

Elyees nodded, not really surprised. She knew of everything that had happened in Mychela's life. Including that bastard, Nathaniel's, death.

"So, did you know that he was physically abusive?"

"To whom?" Karei asked.

"Me."

Karei stiffened.

_Now!_ she thought, moving in and striking first blood.

_Thwap__!_ was all anyone heard for a clear second. Then, the screams of outrage or of pleasure at the bloodshed.

Karei looked stunned. He now had a gash about an inch long and about a quarter of an inch deep in his abdomen.

"As I told Urameshi on the first day we met, _never_ underestimate a woman. We use weapons you males will never possess. Even though that bastard, Nathaniel, _did_ abuse me, I was using it to judge exactly what the hell was going on here."

_"So beautiful, yet so manipulating,"_ Karei said in the native language of the _kitsunes__._ She automatically replied in the same tongue.

_"So young, yet so ready to die.__ Why did you enter this tournament? Did you know that I would be here and you could _finally_ rid yourself of the crown?"_

_"Actually, yes, I knew you would be here, but I didn't decide to fight personally until I saw how cold and heartless you could be once your demonic nature took over. You intrigue me, girl. You are a worthy heir to me."_

She scowled. _"Is that the only reason I am here, you asshole?"_

_"Just about.__ Now, let's do this."_

She nodded her agreement, snapping the whip again. He went into an offensive position, so she instinctively moved to defense.

"She's good," Yuusuke reluctantly admitted. "She's learned more control over Elyees, though I think that, should there be cause, that control would snap in an instant."

"Undoubtedly," Hiei concurred.

"Of course. I've lost control of Youko on more than one occasion," Kurama pointed out. " It's quite possible that she will lose control again, given the proper angering tactics."

Botan, Yukina, Keiko, Shizuru, and Sakyo were all down on the field. Yukina was being comforted by Yuusuke, obviously either ignored or unnoticed by Hiei, because Hiei was holding Keiko. Botan was over to the side, leaning against the wall, murmuring to herself.

Kurama recognized the song, because it was one of Mychela's favorites by Linkin Park, _In The End._

_"I tried so hard/ And got so far/ But in the end/ It doesn't even matter/ I had to fall/ To lose it all/ But in the end/ It doesn't even matter..."_

_How true. In the end, this won't matter at all,_ Kurama mused, watching the interesting fight between whips in the ring. _We can't afford for her to lose. C'mon, Mychela! You _must_ win!_

She looked at him for a split second, smiled, and turned back to her fighting.

_-Listen up, everyone!-_ she broadcast to all of the _reikai__ tantei. -This fight is about one thing. Will I inherit my father's realm? If I don't, Yuusuke, I want you to have it destroyed, fuck the consequences. The next one in line is my cousin. He will destroy it anyway, but for an overlord to do it, no one can protest. Kurama, you are to find my other cousin, Lane, and take her to a secure location until I am up and moving, _if_ I live. Hiei, you keep chill. Botan, prepare to have a soul to take.-_

Everyone nodded and she leapt into the air, hovering, flapping her wings on her first flight.

_"Thousand Poisoned Strikes!"_ she screamed, flinging out her hands.

Her nails went flying, poisoned as they were, directly at her father.

He dodged and she swooped in, implanting the Death Plant and swiping at him with the Native's Paintbrush.

_-No turning back now, _koi!-he sent, letting her see it momentarily through his eyes.

_-I wanna be pushed aside,-_ she replied, remembering the lyrics and flashing a grin at him. _-The very worst part of you is me.-_

He nodded and she frantically managed to fly up.

_"Well, audience, I don't know how to place this one! Is she in the ring or is she out? She's hovering twenty yards above the ring, hiding in the sun. What does the rulebook say?!"_ Juri informed everyone in a slight panick.

One minute passed.

_"DIE!"_ Elyees screamed, directing her voice at Karei.

Elyees immediately switched control to Mychela, who landed lightly.

"I am sorry, my father. You chose this, not I. I had no control in this, for you angered my darker half. I lay your death on your own soul. Lady Naoru, make sure that he is prepared to be born back to Rolle in all dignity that a former king deserves."

"Yes, your Majesty." Naoru saluted her and bore Karei's body away from the ring.

"Thank you, Lady Naoru," she replied, bowing regally. She exited the ring, head bowed and body tense.

"Mychela... you fought well."

"That was Elyees, not me, Kurama. I let her have full control. I'm a coward when it comes to these... abilities of mine," she protested weakly.

He pulled her close and shook his head. "No, no, no, Mychela. A coward is something you will never be."

"Your Highness...."

She turned and looked at the speaker. "Yes?"

"Can you come with us? We need to prepare for your coronation and the official take-over of Rolle Kingdom."

She nodded and withdrew herself from his embrace. "Of course."

Juri was watching the events, stunned.

_"And what's this?! We have the new Queen of __Rolle __Kingdom__ in the stadium!"_

Mychela shot Juri a killing glance and the announcer shut up. However, it was too late. Whispers were already starting and stares were being received. Mychela sighed angrily and entered the ring again.

"Your microphone, please?"

Juri nodded and handed it over.

"I'm afraid, audience, that our beloved Juri, the most enthusiastic announcer when it comes to this sport of bloodshed and gruesome deaths, was momentarily confused when she made that announcement. Please ignore it and continue to do whatever it is you were doing before she interrupted your activities."

The audience looked at her and continued to whisper.

Mychela rolled her eyes and gestured to Kurama.

"What is it?"

"Meet me on the beach, where we talked last, in two hours. Be prepared to see something you would have never expected of me."

He nodded. "Now, go. Destiny awaits you."

She smiled waterily as she followed Naoru and Co. _Every girl dreams of a knight in shining armor, but, in this case, I think, it will be the Queen in shining coronation robes._

Suddenly, she hated her biological father more than she had ever thought possible.


End file.
